Gwinnett asked to privatize county airport

LAWRENCEVILLE - A private company has asked Gwinnett officials to consider selling or leasing Briscoe Field, the County-owned airport. The company, whose identity remains confidential at this time, wants to convert the County airport into a private enterprise under the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Privatization Pilot Program.

"The Board will carefully review all options to ensure any changes to the operations of our airport are in the best interest of our citizens," said Commission Chairman Charles Bannister. "It's an intriguing idea that could bring in much-needed revenue for the County. But before we can seriously talk to any potential buyers or lease holders, we must first thoroughly investigate and study the potential economic and environmental impacts." The Board of Commissioners may consider authorization for the program application through the FAA at a public meeting in the coming months.

Should the application be approved by the FAA, the process of potentially privatizing the airport will be open to public comment and review and include a bidding process among interested companies.

Congress established the FAA's Airport Privatization Pilot Program to explore privatization as a means of generating access to various sources of private capital for airport improvement and development. Private companies may own, manage, lease and develop public airports. The Act authorized the FAA to permit up to five public airport sponsors to sell or lease an airport and to exempt the sponsor from certain federal requirements that could otherwise make privatization impractical. The airport owner or lease holder would be exempt from repaying federal grants, returning property acquired with federal assistance, and using proceeds from the airport's sale or lease to be used exclusively for airport purposes.

"Nothing will be decided until all options have been carefully and publicly vetted. It will be important to obtain extensive community feedback," Bannister said. "The County has gotten other offers regarding Briscoe Field in the past. We want to make certain that the outcome of this offer is what's best for Gwinnett."